While in my Mother's womb all bets were I would be a boy . Delivered , the Nuns ( yes God's wives ) put a blue ribbon in my hair to signify " I was" at almost 10pds ...however , on the unveiling I was most definately a Girl ! The family always had the NorEastah attitude " Why would I call so & so if we can fix it ?" so , Mom rehab'd many an apt./house ( an built one with her own hands in her late 60's ) and Dar thought I shouldn't miss out on the fun adrenaline of a good engine whether on 2 wheels or 4 ...Nana was painting her kitchen ceiling at 92 ..so , I was surrounded by multiple "can do " talents . Which has been most fruitful however , just occasionally how I love to say " I'll cook for you if you'll ....for me " = Share the bounty & keep your eye on the curious side ! "Best"...

Great article, fun to read, inspires me to push my husband aside so I can pitch in, have a turn of the screw driver or a hit of the hammer.

You see, the man of our household is an action hero kind of guy who likes to fix things vigorously and quickly, then step aside to "wow" his family with his handiwork.

Unlike Mike who shares his genius and know-how, our fixer hero often asks us to step aside so SPEED is maintained. Prepping is a pain in his pocket, likewise questions that slow him down.

Still, it's difficult for me NOT to ask questions as I inherited an insatiable appetite for learning how to do things from my mother; processes fascinate us both. Mom was the fixer in my life growing up - a walking encyclopedia and how-to woman who could tackle or coach any project. Pity the poor fixers that she hired later in life to patch, paint, prune, or repair - nothing got past her. She knew the steps to do the job right, the first time.

My tip to women who also aspire to become fixers but might have a man of speed at home: Soar under the radar like a stealth fighter 'til you locate your target. Act quickly with resolve. You too can be a fixer hero and catch those broken villains.

When I was a Girl Scout, I chose to teach the Ms. Fix It badge to the rest of the troop. I picked it because my inner feminist was already fully developed at 10 years old and it felt like the very un-girliest thing I could do. My philosophies have evolved some since then even though my repair skills really haven't. But I still remember how to fix a frayed vacuum cord AND I've actually gotten to use that skill in my adult life! Proud.

My local Time Bank is holding a Repair Cafe in a couple weeks to teach/fix/play with the many consumables in our society. No need to buy another one when you can fix what you have. I'm the bicycle repair guy, but many things can be fixed. Try it!

My Dad was an electrician who didn't think girls needed to know that stuff. But I still picked up plenty watching him. I clean all my fans yearly and have had them over a decade. I know how to use tuner cleaner to keep my electronics working well. I can mechanically fix a lot of things because in my field of art I have learned how to manipulate a lot of materials, making new knobs, copying buttons with polymer clay, and it has saved me a fortune. I know how to solder for electronics and silver solder for jewelry fixing, and I can sew. When I lost my job, I started doing some fixing for money--helps our quality of life to have a little more spending money at the store and it sure makes me feel good to be less dependent on strangers when something breaks. It is very empowering.

Have you ever walked into a Home Depot? Every time I go in there, I get "the stare": what is she doing here? She doesn't know what she's doing, etc. It's really annoying. If I go there with a guy to help me with heavy lifting, the store associates automatically defer to him, even though it's my project and he has no clue about what I'm working on.

The next time I shop at a hardware or automotive store I'm going to have to pay more attention. I love fixing things and have been tinkering (problem-solving under another name, after all!) since I turned a stereo into a PA when I was about 11. I do get lots of stares as I ride and and fix my sportbike. I've met many female riders who do their own maintenance, as a matter of course. (My torque wrench is one of my best friends.) I can't fix everything, of course, but I had Depression-era grandparents who taught me the value of fixing, and we all bemoaned planned obsolecence.

It's a good thing that we aren't gender-myopic and can pass on this natural relation to fixing to the next generations.

I've been fixing stuff for YEARS - 1st was a car; but that didn't go well (good learning experience though) - since then I've fixed all KINDS of stuff - my husband and I jointly remodeled our 1st home before we moved in (finished a garage that had been converted to living space, but not wired & drywalled - part of it became the master bedroom with a walk-in closet - the other part became a home office - I put down the flooring of carpet and wood tiles) - I work on my Jeep (replaced starter, alternator, trim moulding, front bumper, fender flares - soon to do rear bumper & driver's seat); there are some things I won't do to the Jeep due to ecological issues (changing the oil - I have nowhere to safely recycle the old stuff, new brakes - don't have tools for that). I've upgraded my own MacBook with more RAM & I need to get around to installing a new DVD drive in it. I've re-finished furniture (an old rocking chair & I'm planning to do our dining table chairs), painted furniture (an outdoor shelf & our garden bench). I have a small garden which I blog about on Google+ (at my daughter's insistance). So, it's ALL good - we women are MORE than capable! Keep fixin'!!! :-)

I don't often fix things, but when I do, it's one of the best feelings EVER! It's like solving a puzzle, once it's done you want to start all over. I'm actually more handy than my boyfriend and I think that's fantastic. Haha

Some of us have been "fixin'" stuff for a long time. Glad you finally discovered your inner fixer! Anybody wanna see my basement? It's chock full of power tools! On shelves I built myself! With a framing nailer! Haha!

When my sister's family finally got a PC my BIL announced it wasn't getting hooked up until he'd had a chance to read The Manual! Hahahaha! Then he relented and we set it up. But there was no sound. Could you imagine if he'd come home early that day to see me sitting there with the case off the tower, a screwdriver in one hand and the sound card in the other? Oh, Lord!

I'm so inspired by you. The only thing I've ever fixed is a bike- and I did it with a lot of help through this awesome tool lending library in LA called Bicycle Kitchen. You probably would really like Computers for a Cause- they fix computers that are thrown away and provide them to individuals who need help finding jobs: http://www.good.is/members/computersforacause